So, I’m moving to Birmingham and I need advice. I’ve got a full-time job there working for a housing association on a really exciting project. I graduated last year and am a single 22 year old looking for somewhere non-horrible to live and some tips on how to enjoy the city.
I need to find somewhere to live over the next few weeks and I would also really appreciate tips on where to live, how much I should expect to pay, if anyone commutes and what it’s like, etc. I’ll be working in Tyseley, but judging from what I saw it’s not exactly a residential area. I don’t drive, though plan to learn soon.
Where’s good socially? Political groups? gay scene? Alternative shopping areas? How do I go about getting the accent? Etc.
I’ll handle the easy one. Don’t get the accent. The Brummy accent is not well regarded, mainly because, frankly, it sounds horrible. Comedians use it when they want to convey that the person is a bit thick.
In general Birmingham gets a pretty bad rap from those who don’t live there, but I’m sure some locals will be able to help you get the most out of it.
Hope it works out really well for you. The UK is a fantastic place.
I think it’s worth pointing out that (if memory serves) alexandra is British or at least UK-based.
“How do I pick up the accent?” seems a curious thing to ask for any destination, let alone Birmingham. You might pick it up in the usual way, by talking to people, but if not, so what? It’s a big, reasonably cosmopolitan city, people won’t run away in horror if you don’t have a thick Brummie accent.
It’s worth pointing out what most people think of as the Birmingham accent is actually far more common/noticeable in the smaller communities around Birmingham than in the city itself.
I lived in Birmingham six years ago, while studying my masters degree. At that time, paticularly in the areas around the University a lot of housing seemed to be owned by a few landlords, who kept the properties in very poor condition and relied on their relative monopoly on the local housing market to set high rents even to the point of keeping a lot of properties vacant, better quality properties owned by independant landlords were often booked up to a year or so in advance by students. A lot has changed in the housing market since then however, I have no idea whether this is still the case.
Birmingham is pretty good for shopping, although for a lot of niche stuff you often have to walk a fair way from the main pedestrian shopping areas, sometimes into slightly dodgier areas of the city, (it did have an amazing science fiction bookshop, no idea whether it’s still there).
The city itself has some pretty neat features, although I felt it had a similar unfriendly/impersonal feel to many other large cities.
You can expect to pay up to about £600 per month in the city centre, there is a lot of new building there so plenty of posh flats going spare! This site has some listings which will give you a rough idea of what you can find here.
Selly Oak and Bournbrook, along with Five Ways, are some of the areas our students use but we’re based out of the city centre - the best thing to do is to come up to Brum and have a nose around to see what areas look good to you (bring a friend and wander round them at night too so you get a real feel for the area).
It’s easy to get around by bus, and depending on how much time you’re prepared to spend on it, there’s a decent rail service that runs through a lot of the outlying areas (the cross-city line from Litchfield to Redditch) will go through a lot of the residential parts.
Don’t worry about the accent, you’ll understand folks easily enough - I never had any problems and I’m from way down south!
Indeed, born in Leicester, grew up mostly in London, went to university in Manchester.
Yeah, it was a joke.
chowder: yeah yeah, go away I wish I lived in Manchester still but I graduated last July and friends who are still there are struggling to get employment, sadly.
I grew up in Birmingham and I think there’s lots to recommend about it. It has a bad rep but that’s thanks to the normal other-city bashing + what used to be a pretty dire shopping centre.
Nowadays it’s very cosmopolitan, there’s lots of great shopping, restaurants, and the nightlife is excellent, and less fragmented than many larger cities.
And contrary to popular belief, it’s quite a green city outside of the centre itself, especially if you include Sutton Park, and it has a large canal network (although the meme about it having more canals than venice is a myth).
But make no mistake, it’s a pretty industrial city and you will see power stations, factories and many motorways due to its central location. I actually miss all that stuff – I live in London now, and believe it or not, Birmingham has more of a big city feel to it than here…
As for where to live, I’m not sure where to recommend. Areas that were nice when I grew up (e.g. Erdington) have gone downhill. My folks live in posh Solihull, but that’s pretty far out of the centre.
My brother lives in one of the new posh flats that were recently built in the centre and he’s got quite a nice pad for £540 a month.
as Villa will explain to you when he arrives
I wish I lived in Manchester still but I graduated last July and friends who are still there are struggling to get employment, sadly.